Adjustable sight for firearms



33-257 GR 2918799096 5R Jan. 16, 1940. E 5 POMEROY 2,187,096

ADJUSTABLE SIGHT FOR FIREARMS Filed sein. 2s, 19:59

i@ jf ff? 1l F .if A 4 {I UILUWICIULJHL INQIHUIWCIMCM Patented Jan. 16,1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE SIGHT FOR FIREARMS Edward S.Pomeroy, Springfield, Mass., assigner to Smith and Wesson, Inc.,Springfield, Mass.,

a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 28, 1939, SerialNo. 296,897

6 Claims.

This invention relates to sights of the type having a verticaladjustment for elevation and a horizontal adjustment for windage. Whilethe improved sights may be applied to rearms of various kinds, they areparticularly intended for use on small firearms such as revolvers andpistols.

The principal objects of the invention are toprovide a sight which issimple and inexpensive to construct, which is compact and unobtrusive,which may be adjusted quickly and easily, which does not get out ofadjustment in response to shocks such as the shock of ring, which isefficient and durable in use and which is generally superior to priorsights of the type referred to.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention isshown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a revolver with the improvedsight applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the sight and a portion of the revolver;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. ll;

Fig. 7 is a top plan of a portion of the revolver with the sightremoved; and

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. '7.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose ofillustration is shown in position on a revolver comprising a frame I, abarrel 2, a hammer 3, and a revolving charnber il. Extending lengthwiseof the revolver along the top of the frame is a groove 5 whichterminates at the rear end in the plane of the vertical shoulders 6(Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 8). EX- tending forwardly from the plane of theshoulders 3, in the bottom of the groove 5, is a deeper groove I havingan undercut portion 9 extending throughout the full length of the grooveand flaring side portions 8 extending throughout only a portion of thelength of the groove.

The mount for the sight comprises a rear portion whose width isapproximately equal to that of the revolver treme I (Fig. 2) and anelongated forward portion including a spring leaf l2 which ts into thegroove 5. The shoulders at the junction between the forward and rearwardportions seat against the shoulders 6 (Figs. l and 2). The mount |||2 ofthe sight is held in position by means of the screw I3 near the forwardend of the groove 5.

The adjustable sight comprises a lower cylindrical portion Ill and anupper at portion |5 containing the sight notch |6, the lower portionbeing confined to the central portion of the frame and the upper portionI5 projecting symmetrically on opposite sides of the central portion, Asshown in Fig. 3 the frame is provided with a cylindrical recess I8 toreceive the cylindrical portion I4 of the sight, the recess I8 extendinginto the frame from the right-hand side and terminating at the shoulderI9 (Fig. 3). Above the recess I8 is a transverse slot extending the fullwidth of the mount to receive the at upper portion of the sight.

Extending through the cylindrical portion I4 is a screw 2| comprisingtwo heads 22 and 23, one integral with one end of the screw and theother in the form of a nut on the other end of the screw and seating ina recess in the left-hand side of the frame. The head 22 is somewhatlarger than the recess I8 and the right-hand side of the frame isprovided with a larger circular recess 24 t0 accommodate the largerhead, the shoulder between the recesses I8 and 24 serving to restrainendwise movement of the screw 2|. Both heads 22 and 23 are provided withslots to permit rotation of the screw by means of a screw driver or thelike, the nut 23 being fast to the screw so that rotation of the nutproduces rotation of the screw.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 5 the recess 24 is provided with three pairs ofopposite chisel-shaped recesses 3| to receive the detents 32 mounted atthe opposite ends of a diametrical bore through the screw head 22 with acompression spring 33 therebetween yieldingly to urge the detents intoopposite recesses 3|. Thus the screw remains in any one of the adjustedpositions in which the detents extend into a pair of recesses. Byreference to Fig. 3 it will be evident that rotation of the screw 2|shifts the sight transversely of the rearm, thereby providing a windageadjustment.

Immediately in front of the sight I5 the narrower portion of the frameI2 is provided with a vertical opening or socket to receive theinternally-threaded screw head H the upper end of the opening beingenlarged to accommodate the larger upper end 42 of the head. The outerperiphery of the lower smaller portion of the head is provided with anannular recess to accommodate the split ring 43 to retain the head inthe aforesaid opening. The screw 44 which threads into the head 4| hasan elongated head l5 tting into the aforesaid undercut portion 9 at thebottom of the recess l, thereby preventing rotation of the screw whenthe head l2 is turned. As shown in Figs. 2 and 6 the upper end of thehead 112 is provided with a slot 46 by which the nut may be rotated, andas indicated in Figs. 2, 4 and 6 the head l2 has a diametrical openingil to accommodate a spring and a pair of detents, like spring 33 and thedetents 32, which fit into recesses 48 corresponding to the recesses 3|.When the head 42 is rotated in the direction to thread it off the screw44 the rear end Qi the frame |||2 is lifted by engagement of the splitring 43 with the under side of the frame, the head 45 of the screwpressing downwardly against the bottom of its groove and the elongateforward portion I2 of the frame flexing upwardly. As shown in Figs. 4and 5 the head 45 of the screw 44 is preferably beveled to accommodatethis flexing movement.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the rear end of the sightframe may be flexed upwardly by adjustment of the head 42 and the sightI5 may be shifted horizontally by adjustment of the screw ZI, therebyaffording adjustment for both elevation and windage. Incidentally thescrew driver slots in the heads 22 and 42 serve to indicate at a glance,by their angular positions in relation to the grooves 3| and 48, how thesight is adjusted at any time, the slots being parallel with thediametrical detent openings through the heads. To remove the sight fromthe gun it is necessary merely to remove the screw I3. To remove thetransversely adjustable parts it isnecessary merely to remove the nut 23from the screw 2|. After the as-sembly has been removed from the gun thescrew 44 may be threaded out of the head 42, and the head may then beremoved from the frame I2 by snapping out the spring 43.

The location of the detents in the heads of the adjusting screws affordsa compact design, which is particularly advantageous in small arms. Andthe provision of two detents pressed in opposite directions avoids thedanger of accidental displacement of the detents by shock, such as theshock of firing, because any shock which tends to retract one detentfrom its recess tends to force the other detent more tightly into itsrecess.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and that this invention includes all modificationsand equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character referred to comprising a sight, a mount,and means for adjusting the sight including a screw having a circularhead rotatably fixed in a circular socket in the mount, the periphery ofthe socket having a recess disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axisof the screw and the head having an axial opening disposed in the sameplane, and a spring-pressed detent disposed in said opening forengagement with said recess, whereby the sight may be held in any one ofa plurality of adjusted positions by the detent snapping into saidrecess.

2. A device of the character referred to comprising a sight, a mount, ascrew for adjusting the sight, the screw having a circular headrotatably fitted in a circular socket in the mount, the periphery of thesocket having a circumferential row of pairs of opposed recessesdisposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the screw and the headhaving a diametrical opening disposed in the same plane, detents inopposite ends of said opening for simultaneous engagement with a pair ofopposed recesses, and a compression spring in the opening between thedetents for urging the detents outwardly into the recesses, whereby thesight may be held in any one of a plurality of adjusted positions by thedetents snapping into a 0 pair of said recesses.

3. A device of the character referred to comprising a sight, a mount,and means for adjusting the sight transversely for windage,characterized in that said means includes ar screw having threadedengagement with said sight and having a circular head rotatably xed in acircular socket in the mount, the periphery of the socket having arecess disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the screw andthe head having an axial opening disposed in the same plane, and aspringpressed detent disposed in said opening for engagernent with saidrecess, whereby the sight may be held in any one of a plurality ofadjusted positions by the detent snapping into said recess.

4. A device of the character referred to comprising a sight, means formovably mounting the sight on a firearm including amount having avertical socket, a screw head rotatably mounted in said socket, avertical screw having one end threaded into said head and the other endseating on the firearm, means for restraining rotation of the screw whenthe head is rotated, means for restraining axial movement of said headrelatively to the mount, the periphery of said socket having a recessdisposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the screw and the headhaving an axial opening disposed in the same plane, and a springpresseddetent disposed in said opening for engagement with said recess, wherebythe sight may be held in any one of a plurality of elevated positions bythe detent snapping into said recess. 5. A device of the characterreferred to comprising a sight means for movably mounting the sight on arearm including a mount having a vertical socket, a screw head rotatablymounted in said socket, a vertical screw having one end threaded intosaid head and the other end anchored on the firearm, means forrestraining rotation of the screw when the head is rotated, means forrestraining axial movement of said head relatively to the mount, theperiphery of said socket having a circumferential row of recessesdisposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the screw and the headhaving an axial opening disposed in the same plane, and a springpresseddetent disposed in said opening for engagement with said recesses,whereby the sight may be held in any one of a plurality of elevatedpositions by the detent snapping into said recesses.

6. A device of the character referred to comprising a sight, means formovably mounting the sight on a firearm including a mount having avertical socket, a screw head rotatably mounted in said socket, avertical screw having one end threaded into said head and the other endseating on the firearm, means for restraining rotation of the screw whenthe head is rotated, means for restraining axial movement of said headrelatively to the mount, the periphery of said socket having acircumferential row of pairs of opposed recesses disposed in a planeperpendicular to the axis of the screw and the head having a diametricalopening disposed in the same plane, detents in opposite ends of saidopening for simultaneous engagement with a pair of opposed recesses, and

a compression spring in the opening between the detents for urging thedetents outwardly into the recesses, whereby the sight maybe held in anyone of a plurality of elevated positions by the detents snapping into apair of said recesses.

EDWARD S. POMEROY.

